Apple Suddenly Launches 16 New Video Guides For Better iPhone Photos

Apple's new How to Shoot on iPhone 7 campaign, highlighting how to take a vertical panoramaApple

Apple often says the iPhone camera is the most popular in the world, basing this claim on the fact that according to Flickr, more photos are taken on an iPhone than any other.

On Thursday, Apple launched a series of short videos to help iPhone users take better pictures. They’re part of a campaign called How to shoot on iPhone 7. You’ll find them here, but are they worth a look?

Well, they certainly don’t take long to view as each of the 16 videos lasts around 30 seconds. They’re pleasingly free of duff voice-overs, too.

Instead, they follow the simple-is-best approach that Apple takes to its iPhone camera with step-by-step captions.

The iPhone is sometimes criticised by some because it doesn’t have a Pro mode with extra features, manual controls and so on. Apple would probably argue that there are apps for that, to coin a phrase, and that the company’s aim is to provide a camera intuitive enough for anyone to use.

That doesn’t mean there are no sophistications on board, though, and that’s what this series of videos is out to prove. For instance, there’s How to shoot a sunset silhouette, which involves putting the subject right in front of the sun, locking the focus, adjusting the exposure and shooting.

See, even that description sounds more complicated than it is in the 36-second video. It makes the most of the fact that you can adjust the exposure even while the focus stays locked, and that as you do, the display shows in real-time the effect you’ll achieve.

Others include How to shoot with street light, which like the others makes the process ordinary and the result anything but. Sometimes the guides make it look just too easy, but the aim, I’d guess, is mostly to inspire users to do just that bit more with their iPhones than just post endless selfies or food shots.

Other companies have done their best to turn their users into shutterbugs – like Google’s recent long-exposure shots, which Paul Monckton wrote about here. And manufacturers like HTC have shown the versatility of their smartphones with frequent suggestions on how to make the most of the UltraPixels in its camera sensors.

What’s gratifying about this video series is that it’s not directly geared towards selling phones, just encouraging current owners to take better photos, which – judging from my Instagram feed – can only be a good thing, right?

I’ve been writing about technology for two decades and am always struck by how the sector swings from startling innovation to regular repetitiveness. My areas of specialty are wearable tech, cameras, home entertainment and mobile technology.
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